


Darling, I would know you anywhere

by Colourspaz



Category: Mighty Ducks (Movies)
Genre: College Radio, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:03:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18950506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colourspaz/pseuds/Colourspaz
Summary: Wherein Portman never comes to Eden Hall, but late one night, when Fulton is listening to his college's radio station, he hears a familiar voice.





	1. Chapter 1

The last notes of the song fade out, and the announcer’s voice comes on.

 _”Well, folks, that’s all for my set! This next song will be from y’all’s favourite classic rock emcee! Have a good one!”_

Fulton quirks an eyebrow. He’s never really listened to the station this late ( _Thank you, psych paper,_ ) and the mention of classic rock gets him interested. 

However, he was wholly unprepared for the opening bass line of Everything’s On Fire. Of all the fucking songs. 

~

_Fulton has absolutely no problem with the first four new kids (In fact, they could use another goalie,) but the fifth kid takes the cake._

_Dean fucking Portman._

_He’s pushing all the other Ducks to the ground and messing with the other new recruits. He’s a bully, plain and simple_

_No matter how badly Fulton wants to truly hate him, he seems like a legitimately cool person. Someone who would click with Fulton and keep pace with his strength. Who also happens to know one of the greatest songs of all time._

_Fuck._

~

Fulton sets down his pencil and turns up the volume, very glad for the headphones connected to his radio. As the song goes on, memories of that summer flitter through his head, and he tries to not dwell on any of them too much. The song is over before he knows it, however, so he reaches to turn the volume back down. 

The surprise of hearing a familiar song is nothing compared to the surprise of what he hears next. 

_”Good evening, ladies and gents! We’re getting the night started with an older favourite of mine. Next up, we have…”_

Fulton practically throws the headphones across the room in his scramble to get them off. He’d know that voice anywhere. 

_Anywhere._

_Dean fucking Portman._

Before Fulton has the time to process what the hell is going on, he hears the notes to another song beginning. He picks his headphones up and slides them over his ears. 

Somehow, he’s not surprised when he hears Still Rock n’ Roll To Me come through the headphones. 

 

~

_The post-game gatherings were always celebrations of victory. Until they played Iceland. Until their coach turned into not their coach. And they lost 12-1 and ran drills till midnight._

_Despite the soreness and tiredness, Portman still had the energy to rant and rave angrily about Coach Bombay._

_They had decided to take the long way back to the dorms. For whatever reason, talking to their teammates was just too much at the moment. Maybe because they were supposed to be the big enforcers, supposed to protect the team and beat down Iceland. But Portman got unrightfully thrown out of the game and Fulton’s shot was blocked. They were supposed to win. They let their Coach down. Let their team down._

_They were nearly there when Portman stopped, dropped his bag, and taken a swing at the brick of the building._

_”Dude, woah! Chill!” Fulton said, but Portman either couldn’t hear him or was too angry to hear. Tentatively, he placed a hand on Portman’s shoulder. “Portman, c’mon.”_

_Portman doesn’t stop, so the next time he swung an arm back, Fulton grabbed him by the forearm._

_”Dean.”_

_He stops. Lowers his hands to his sides and his gaze to the ground._

_”That isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s just go back to the dorms and get some sleep.”_

_”...okay.”_

_Once they’re back in the rooms, they change into sleep-clothes quickly and crawl under the covers. Fulton didn’t even think of putting a tape on. As he’s about to drift off to sleep, he hears Portman throw his covers off and sit up._

_”Hey, Fulton?”_

_Fulton turns around and props himself up on his elbow._

_”Yeah?”_

_Portman smiles, but there’s an odd sadness behind it._

_”Thanks. For what you did earlier.”_

_”Of course.”_

_Portman looks as if he wants to say something, but he can’t find the words. He points to the stereo and mumbles “Would you mind...putting something on?”_

_Fulton climbs out of bed and grabs a tape from his backpack. He puts it in the stereo, turns the volume down a little, and presses play._

_Billy Joel’s voice starts coming out of the speakers, along with an up-tempo bass line. Portman climbs out of his bed and joins Fulton on the floor next to the stereo. As an afterthought, he grabs the blanket from his bed and pulls it around his shoulders._

_Portman looks over to Fulton and wordlessly lifts up his arm to offer some of the blanket to Fulton. He gladly moves over and gets under the blanket. They sit there, pressed up against each other, until the tape ends and they crawl back to their own beds._

_Neither of them mention anything about it in the morning._

~

The song fades out and Portman’s voice fades in. 

_”That’s a song pretty close to my heart. Holds a good memory of a dear friend. Unfortunately, I haven’t talked to him in forever and I’m missing him a little extra tonight, so here’s another old favourite of mine.”_

“Dean Portman, you _motherfucker_.” Fulton mutters, unable to hide his grin as You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet begins. 

~ 

It’s about three in the morning when Fulton finishes his paper, but he can’t bring himself to turn off the radio.


	2. Chapter 2

Fulton stands outside the college’s A/V room, looks at the sign that says “College radio station broadcasted here!” and sighs. It’s nearly midnight. Nearly time for Portman’s shift. 

He still can’t believe that of all the colleges in the US; of all the colleges in the world, they just so happened to end up at the same one. 

He wants to knock. So badly. He wants to be able to see Portman again, but he has absolutely no clue what to say. What _do_ you say to your best friend after you haven’t seen them for over four years? 

Fulton turns on his heel and walks back to his dorm. 

Portman hears something outside and goes to open the door, but all he sees is someone that looks oddly familiar turning the corner, and then they’re gone. 

~

Fulton finds himself staying up later and later, just to catch part of Portman’s shift on the radio. Thank god he doesn’t have any 8 am classes.

He stops by the A/V room every night. Never for more than five minutes. He never knocks. He can never bring himself to. 

And then. 

And then he does. He doesn’t know what comes over him. Maybe it’s the overbearing need to see Portman again. Maybe it’s the fact that Portman is the only person who he’s ever really, _truly_ loved. 

But he knocks. 

He hears someone clambering over heavy-sounding objects, and then Portman yells “Just a second!” and Fulton’s heart leaps into his throat. The lock on the door clicks, the handle turns, and then Portman is standing in front of him, saying “Can I help…..you?” 

Half of Fulton’s mind is going _”Shit, shit, shit, what do I say? What do I do?”_ The other half is going _”Holy SHIT, Portman got even hotter.”_

“Hey.” Fulton’s voice is surprisingly steady. 

Portman shakes his head slightly and huffs out a laugh. “Hi.”

“I, um. I heard you on the radio and, uh. Yeah.” 

An awkward silence stretches out. Portman breaks it by turning into the room and yelling “Hey, I’ll be right back!” and walking out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. 

“Would you like to go on a walk?” Portman asks, unable to hold back a grin, and Fulton can’t deny him. 

“I would.”

They walk down the hallway and out into the cool night air. 

~

_The window creaks when Portman opens it, and they both freeze, scared of being caught. When nothing happens, he opens it the rest of the way and they climb out onto the roof, onto the tree branch, and from there, down to the ground. They take off running, away from the buildings, laughing like crazy because they’re young and wild and most definitely a little bit in love._

_They slow down once they’re a ways away from the dorms. They buy sodas at a corner bodega and drink them in the park, sat unnecessarily close on a bench._

_”Hey, Fulton?”_

_”Yeah?”_

_Portman smiles._

_”I’m really, really glad I met you.”_

_Fulton smiles back._

_”Yeah, so am I.”_

_They’re looking into each other’s eyes, and is it just Fulton’s imagination, or is Portman leaning in?_

_Portman then coughs awkwardly and stands up. “We should be getting back.”_

_So they head back in silence, and whatever happened back there, they never bring it up._

~

As soon as they leave the building, the first thing out of Fulton’s mouth is “Why didn’t you come back?” 

Portman is silent, and Fulton figures he’s a second away from turning around and walking back into the building when he talks. 

“Because I’m a dumbass who doesn’t know how to deal with a crush.” Portman says, not quite looking him in the eye. 

“You had...a crush?” Fulton asks. “Who was it, Julie? Don’t tell me it was some local LA girl.” 

“Not exactly.” Portman still isn’t looking at him. 

“Don’t tell me it was Connie.”

Portman turns to face him, finally. 

“No, it wasn’t Connie. Nor was it Julie, or any other girl, for that matter.” 

“Then...who?” 

Portman isn’t quite meeting his gaze, and is he…blushing? 

“Who do you think?”

“I don’t kno…oh. OH.” 

“Yeah.” 

Fulton’s brain short circuits. 

Portman takes his silence as disgust and begins stammering out an apology but before he can finish, Fulton kisses him.


	3. Chapter 3

Portman makes a noise of surprise in the back of his throat when Fulton kisses him, and Fulton starts to back off, but Portman grabs the back of his neck and pulls him back in, and they find a rhythm. Portman’s slowly threading his fingers through Fulton’s hair, and Fulton’s thumbing at Portman’s hips, and it’s soft and slow and everything that they could have ever asked for. 

Eventually, though, they break apart. Portman moves his hand to brush a lock of hair out of Fulton’s eyes, and he grins. 

“Finally.”

Fulton laughs. 

“Finally. Only four years overdue.” 

Portman kisses him again. When they draw back, he looks down at his watch and swears. 

“I have to go do my shift now, but, um...which dorm building are you in?” 

“Lirael House, room 165.” 

Portman nods, mouths it to himself, and grins. He kisses Fulton once more and then turns to go. 

“I’ll swing by your room in the morning?” 

“You better.”

Portman grins, and then he’s gone, back into the building. 

~ 

Fulton grins when he hears a knock at his door. He opens it to see a sleep-rumpled Portman, holding coffee. He takes one of the cups and kisses Portman, pulling him into the room by the front of his shirt. 

Portman sets his cup on Fulton’s bedside table and collapses on his bed. 

“Remind me to never take the midnight shift of a radio station ever again.” he groans. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Fulton says, lying down next to him. Portman rolls over and slings an arm around Fulton’s waist, burying his face in Fulton’s neck. Fulton starts petting his hair, and Portman hums happily. 

They lay there for a while, listening to one of Fulton’s tapes and basking in each other’s presence. 

“Hey, Portman?” 

“Mmmmmhyeah?” Portman mumbles. 

“I’m really glad we found each other again.” 

Portman pushes himself up on an elbow, looking at Fulton.

“I am too.” he says, kissing Fulton. “Really glad.” 

“Thank God for college radio, huh?” Fulton murmurs against Portman’s mouth, and they laugh, giddy and happier than either of them have been in a long time and so deeply in love it almost hurts.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading
> 
> Comments and Kudos inspire me to keep writing more Bashslash


End file.
